Automatic cut-out



L. D.'CRONINGER. AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8, 1920.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

INVENTOR 4 D. ko/w/mfgz.

A TTORNEY' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ioamvzo now cnonmenn, or DAYTON, oino'.

aurom'rrc cur-our.

and useful Improvements in Automatic Cut- Outs, of which the following-is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

. This invention relates tolautomatic cutouts for electric circuits, primarily for use with a generator, itmay be used with paratus of various kinds.

and while designed electrical ap- One object of the invention is to provide- 0'3. simple, efiicient device to automatically break the circuit when the generator, or other apparatus, stops, or drops below a predetermined speed.

' position in which the A further ehject of the invention is to provide a device of this lcindin which the movable part, or parts, will'not be liable to stick and thus allow the circuit to remain closed. I

' A further object of the invention is to provide a cutout of such a character that the circuit will be broken with certainty in any device may stop. Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1- is an elevation f a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken centrally through the device of Fig. 1 transversely to its axis; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a slightly modified form of the invention taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4 is asection taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of "my invention, together with a slight modification thereof. In both forms the device comprises a supporting structure, or body portion, mounted for rotatory movement and which carries a conductor. This conductor is divided into two or more sections, and the outer ends of two of the sections are connected with the external circuit, in any suitable manner,-and the inner ends of the sections are arran ed adjacent one to the other and have parts Iorming contacts. Where there are more than two sections the contacts are arranged in pairs and the several. pairs of contacts are apart; Movably mounted on the supporting structure are one or more bodies of conductingmaterial, onefor each pair of contacts,

storage battery and I placed therein,

spaced .7

Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d Dec. 20, 1921; Application filed June s, 1920. Serial m5. 989,841.

which are so supported and arranged that they will be moved by centrifugal force, when rotary movement is imparted to the supporting structure, into engagement with the contacts of the respective pairs of con- I t'acts, thus closing the circuit through the several sections of the conductor and, consequently, through the external circuit. The construction may take various forms and it will be understood that those here shown have been chosen for the purpose of illustration only.

In the particular embodiments of the in vention here illustrated the supporting structure, or body portion, is in the form of a disk like structure which is preferably formed of a moldable insulating material, such, for example, as .bakelite. As shown in the presentdrawings, this body is formed in sections, there beingin the present instance three sector like sections. In this body I provide one or more cavities 2, which extend outwardly from points near. the center of the body portion and which form guideways for the bodies of conducting material. The con.- ducting material may be of any suitable character and, in the present instance, I

have employed a fluid conductor, such as a single radial cavity which terminates short.

of the periphery of the body and is closed at its inner end, after the mercury has been by a plug 4, which as here shown is screw cavity and which may be cemented therein mercury from the cavity. The conductor is preferably molded in the bodyofainsulating material and comprises four sections, as

threaded into the end of the 'to eflectually' prevent any leakage of the shown at 5,6, 7 and 8. The sections 6 and 7 of the conductor, which cross the lines-of division betwfeenthe sector like sections of Y the body, are divided into two parts and the ends ofthe two parts are flush. with the edges of the sector like sections of the body so that when these sections are brought together the ends of the two parts of the conductor sections will be brought into contact one with the other. Each section ofthe con ductor has one end provided with a part ex-v tendin th'roughfthe wall of one of-the cavi a contact and in the present v 110 7 P s are preferably the outer ends ties an forming instance the mi of the conductor itself ex.-

tends 'into the cavity; These contact of the cavitiesand, as here shown, are on opposite sides of the respective cavities. The sections and 8 of the conductor are connected at their outer, ends with the external circuit; This may beaccomplished in any suitable manner which will maintain the connectionduring'the rotation of the cutout. In the present instance, the body portlon is the device may-be mounted upon a shaft 10 which is connected withTone side of the circuit, and the outer end of the conductor sec- Y battery may be grounded upon a metallic tion 5 iselectrically connectedwith this bushing. Where the device is used with a. generator and astorage, battery the. storage supporting frame, or structure, and the circuit thus established through the shaft. The body portion is provided on its periphery with. a metallicrim or band, 11, which serves not only to bind the several sections of the body portion firmly together but also serves as a connecting medium between the outer end of the section 8 of the conductor andthe other side'of the external circuit which, in the present instance, is shown as comprising a brush 12 bearing upon the me 'tallic rim.

It will be apparent that, when the device is rotated aboutits axis, the body'of conducting material, or'mercury, 3, in each cav-.

ity, will be moved outwardly by centrifugal force and brought into engagement with the contacts at the outer end of'that cavity and will be maintained in this engagement so long as the'device rotates at. a'speed sufiicient to produce the necessary centrifugal force. When the device stops or the speed of. rotation falls belowa predetermined point, which isdetermined by .the weightof, the conducting material, the conducting material in one or moreof the cavities will move out of engagement with the contacts of that cavity, or those cavities, thereby causing the circuit through the internal conductor to be broken at one or more points. and thus interrupting the flow of current through the externalcircuit. In that form of the device shown in- Figs. 1 and 2, the structure is designed for-rotation about a a horizontal axis and the three cavities are spaced equal distances apart and so ar-- ranged that in any position in which the device may stop one or more of these cavities will have its outer end arranged above a horizontal plane; passing throu h the axis of rotation, and consequently, t e conduct ing material in such cavity, or cavities, will move toward the inner end,- or ends, thereof and out of engagement wlth the contacts, thus making it certain that the circuit -be broken when the rotation of the cutout ceases, regardless of the-position in which it stops. It is only when the device is rotatedat a speed suflicien't to produc the I modified form of the device designed for rotation about avertical axis. In this form ;of the device the constructionis the same provided with a bushing 9 by means of which I gagement with the contacts. When the (le vice is 'rotated about its vertical axis the centrifugal force will move the conducting material outwardly, as above described, and

the contacts will be closed and the circuit completed. In this form of the device a single cavity may be employed if desired because each cavity isalways in such a position that the conducting material will flow away from the contacts when the rotation of the cutout is interrupted.

When mercury is used asthe conducting material I prefer to provide the outer end of each cavity with an inwardly extending projection 14 which is spaced from the side walls of the cavity and greatly reduces the wall of the cavity an thus bridge'the cona liability of the mercur to adhere to the end tacts after. the'cutout has stopped. There I is little -likelihood of the mercury adhering in this manner regardless of: the construction of the cavity, but with the projection arranged as shown it is practically impossible for the mercury to adhere to the end of the cavity after the movement of the cutout has stopped, and, consequently, the circuit will be broken with certainty whencthe cutout has stopped.

The operation of the device will be read ily understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that I have provided a very simple and highlyeificient cut out which will automatically close the circuit and maintain the same closed so long as the cutout continues to rotate at an ap-f preciable speed and which will automatically interrupt the circuit with certainty as soon as the cutout stops, or moves at a speed less than the predetermined speed. The arrangement of the guides, or cavities, for 'the conducting material is such that one of these willalways be in such a position that the conducting material will'automatically move away from the contacts when the movement of the cutout ceases. It will be further apparentthat the device has no moving parts except the conducting material and that this material is of such a character and so mount-- edthat it; can not stick but will always be capable of free movement within the caviies. Consequently, the efliciency of the (lo-- vice will not be impaired by long continued use.

It will be obvious that thesupporting structure, or body portion, may be constructed in various ways and that the character of the conducting material and the manner in which the same is guided into and out of engagement with the contacts may varygreatly from that here shown, and I, therefore, wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described,

as various modifications may sonskilled in the art.

Having now fully described myinvention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

' 1. In a device of the'character described,

occur to a pera rotatable body portion having an outwardly extending cavity, a" conductor carried by said body portion and comprising two sections, each section having a part extending through the wall of said cavity in theouter end thereof and forming a contact,

and a body of conducting material mounted in said cavity and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with said contacts.

2. In a device of the character described, a rotatable body portion formed of insulating material and having an outwardly extending cavity, a conductor embedded in said body portion and comprising two sections, each section having a part extending through the wall of said cavity in the outer end thereof and forming a contact, and a body of conducting material mounted in said cavity and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with said contacts. 3. In a device of the character described, a body portion having a plurality of'outwardly extending cavities, a body of conducting material mounted in each of said cavities, a conductor comprising a plurality of sections, a part of said conductor sections having at their ends parts forming contacts and extending into the respective cavities and two' of said conductor sections having at one end a part forming a contact and extending into the respective cavities and having their other ends connected with an external circuit. said cavities being so arranged that the conducting material in at least one of them will move by gravity out of engagement with said contacts when said device is stationary in any position.

i. In adevice of the character described.

, a body portion rotatable about a substan- .each of said cavities and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with the contacts for that cavity. v

5. In a device of the character described, a body portion of insulating material having a plurality of outwardly extending cavities, a conductor molded into said body portion and having separated parts extending into the respective cavities to form contacts, each of said cavities having two suchcontacts, and a body of conducting material supported in each cavity and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with the contacts thereof.

6. In a device of the character described, a rotatable body portion having an 'outwardly extending cavity, a metal bushing arranged centrally of said body portion, a metallic band extending about the periphery of said body portion, a conductor connected at its ends with said rim and said bushing and having parts extending into the outer end portion of said cavity and-forming contacts, and a body of conducting material mounted in said cavity and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with said i contacts.

7. In a device of the character described, a rotatable body portion comprising a plurality of sections rigidly connected one to the other, said body portion having an outwardly extending cavity, a conductor "car ried by said body'portion and having parts extending into the outer portion of said formed thereinan outwardly extending cav ity, a conductor embedded in said sections and having portions extending into the outer end portions of the respective cavities to form contacts, and conducting material mounted in the respective cavities and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with said contacts.-

9. In a device of the character described,

a rotatable body portion having an outwardly extending cavity, a projection extending into said cavity from the outer end wall thereof and spaced from its'side walls,

a conductor carried by said body portion and comprising two sections, each section having a part extending through the wall of said cavity near the outer end thereof and forming a contact, and a quantity of fluid conducting material freely movablein said cavity.

10: In a device of the character described, i

a body portion mounted for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane and havlng a.

. and a body of conducting mat having its outer end arranged above its inner end, a conductor carried by said body portion andcomprising two sections,-each section having a part extending through the wall of said cavity and formirirg a contact, c ial mounted in said cavity and movable by centrifugal force into engagement with said contacts.

11. In a device of the character described,

a rotatable body portion having a substantially radial guide,:a conductor carried by said body portion and comprising two sections, each section having a part forming a contact and arranged adjacent to the outer end of said-guide, and a body of conducting material movable by centrifugal force along said guide into engagement with said contacts.

12. In a device of the character described,

a' rotatable structure comprising a plurality of outwardly extending guides spaced apart about the axis of said structure, a conductor carried byv said structure and comprising a plurality of sections having parts 'forming contacts, said contacts being arranged in pairs adjacent to the outer ends of the respective guides, and bodies of conducting material movable by centrifugal force along the respective guides into engagement with said contacts, said guides being so arranged relatively to the axis of said structure that in any position of .said structure the outer end of at least one of said guides will be elevated above the inner end thereof to permit the'conducting material to move by gravity away from its contactsj In testimony whereof, I alfix my signature hereto. I

wLORENZO DOW CRONINGER; 

